Don White

Don White serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Sydney, where he has been teaching and supervising final-year engineering students since 1999. He earned his B.Eng. from Liverpool University in 1968 and holds professional qualifications as a Chartered Engineer (C.Eng.) and Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (FIChemE), elected in 2005. Prior to his academic career, Don accumulated thirty years of extensive industry experience as a manager and engineer in the process and chemical sectors, including pulp and paper, minerals processing, and alumina industries. He held senior positions in engineering, production, project management, and general management, working in Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Canada. Following partial retirement in 1998, he transitioned into education and environmental advocacy, receiving his adjunct appointment in 2003.

At the University of Sydney, Don White focuses on professional and project engineering, risk management, and the coordination of major design projects. He teaches courses such as Management of Industrial Plants, Process Plant Safety, and Management of Industrial Research Projects, and runs the capstone fourth-year Chemical Engineering Design Course, which he has restructured over the last decade to provide students with a more rewarding, challenging, and contextual experience. His contributions to engineering education are complemented by his publication "Running a World-Class 4th Year Design Project." Beyond academia, Don has made significant impacts in environmental protection and conservation. He has served as Chairperson of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW since 2005, sat on the NSW Environmental Trust Board since 2017, and was a member of the EPA NSW Board from 2007 to 2012. He has consulted for the petrochemical, chlor-alkali, chemical, and magnesium metal industries on environmental protection and contaminated lands remediation, and participates in government committees on waste issues. Locally, he organizes a resident group and Neighbourhood Watch, serves on the Community Safety Committee, and is active in the Rural Fire Service Laguna Brigade in the Hunter Valley.

Professional Email: don.white@sydney.edu.au